View the May 2023 Nature Friend Magazine Black bear. Photo © Anthony Burkholder. One warm summer evening in September, my family was outside eating my little brother’s birthday cake. Suddenly my...
Story Contest
Bear Country Camping
View the May 2023 Nature Friend Magazine Photo © Elise Weaver. One Sunday afternoon after church, Dad took my sisters and me on an overnight camping trip. We packed our backpacks with sleeping bags,...
Meeting Mrs. Nightjar
View the May 2023 Nature Friend Magazine Photos © Clement Martin. Africa’s sun poured all its fury on my head, bleaching my hair whiter still. My three Ugandan friends, my two younger brothers, and...
From the Editor’s Quill, May 2023: Story Contest
View the May 2023 Nature Friend Magazine
The Belted Kingfisher
View the May 2023 Nature Friend Magazine Belted Kingfisher at nest. Photos © Marlene Burkholder. One sunny May morning, I saw two kingfishers! I assumed they were just flying around and wouldn’t...
The Day a Fox Visited
View the May 2023 Nature Friend Magazine Red Fox. Photo © Joshua Lloyd. One summer morning Michaela went outside to feed our mini lop bunnies. She had the feeling that something was watching her,...
The Tachinid Fly Disaster
View the May 2023 Nature Friend Magazine Photo © JjGouin/Dreamstime.com. I guess it started when a lady said she had a monarch caterpillar for us along with some milkweed to feed it. Although we...
Snow Day
View the May 2023 Nature Friend Magazine One day last winter, it snowed and covered the yard. Daddy scooped it into a big pile with the backhoe. In the afternoon, our family went out to play. It was...
Two Dozen Crabs
View the May 2023 Nature Friend Magazine Land crab. Photo © Andrey Gudkov/Dreamstime.com. The cool Bahamian breezes tickle our faces. It is a relief to have some cool moments after this unusually...
Backcountry Bulls
View the May 2023 Nature Friend Magazine Bull elk. Photo © Le Thuy Do/Dreamstime.com. The van slowed, then made its way around yet another sharp curve. I heaved a sigh and settled back in my seat....
In Search of Monarchs
View the May 2023 Nature Friend Magazine They say ignorance is bliss. In some ways, I wish I had never taken that summer evening walk.“Mom, could I head out and look for monarchs again?”I’d waited...
Cool Night, Cozy Blankets, Hot Cocoa, &…
Once upon a cool August evening, our family happened to be camping in a dark, open area near Jasper, Alberta, Canada, where we had an amazing view of the sky.One evening, something caught our dad’s...
You Win?
Eastern Bluebird and Tree Swallow. Photo © Dreamstime.com. “Chee! Chee! Chee!” The strident notes eddied through the open living room window and pricked my ears. I dropped The War for Mansoul, which...
Spots of Red
Common Redpoll. Photo © Dreamstime.com. My sister looked out the window and asked, “Is that a redpoll?”We all ran for the window. By then the birds had all flown away, so we had to go over to...
Tadpoles
One time when we were cleaning the pond, we saw a tadpole in the mud. We picked it up and put it into a cup with water. We brought it to the house. Then we put it in a fish tank with water, a fake...
